GrandiOdyssey: Circumnavigating the Globe in a '19 Tacoma Build Thread

Wow, the Tacoma around the world people is growing rapidly. Good luck in deciding what truck, but I'm a bit biased

 

Awesome! My wife and I will be heading out 6 months before you but heading to Europe and then down west Africa coast. So who knows maybe we will see each other going up the East Africa coast. So many questions to ask you but, what map program did you use to show your proposed route? I'm using Furkot as a detailed route planner, it powerful but the learning curve is steep, but it's not something easily posted

 

Sounds like an awesome build, and I bet you'll have a great time! I can only dream of such things...

Out of curiosity though, why did you go with the Taco instead of buying a Hilux and bringing it back? Easier to customize here in the States?

 

Probably because you cannot import any non US market vehicles less than 25 years old into the US.

 

Finally had a chance to start in on some modifications today...

1. First up was the TRD Pro grille as this really improves the look over the stock setup.
2. Next was the Wet Okole Seat covers. These were a bit difficult to install due to their tight fit and finicky straps however the once they you get them lined up properly the fit great and have excellent fit and finish. I feel confident that these will be able to take some abuse.
3. For floor protection we went with the Weathertech fitted floor mats (which even have special design to accommodate the cloth pedal on MT models). The fit is superb and I can't wait to see these covered in Siberian mud.
4. To help arrange many small items such as chargers, battery packs, adaptors, etc we went with the Vehicle OCD glovebox organizer and tray. I really like the design which makes the most out of the small space by having so many separate compartments. The fit and finish is also top notch so we will also be adding the vehicle OCD glovebox organizer in the future.
5. We found a seat back organizer on Alibaba for a fraction of the cost of the "overland" organizers and decided to give it a shot. We were pleasantly surprised by huge sturdy this thing is so we will likely use it on at least one of the seat backs.
6. Finally we added some OEM mud flaps which are made of hard plastic. I'm not sure if these will rub when I get the 33in KM3s so I may need to cut them down in the future or get some rubber ones.
7. I am planning on removing the 60 portion of the rear seats leaving only the single rear seat on the driver side...Does anyone have idea how to best utilize this space for storage of heavy items such as tools, drinking water, camping gear, recovery gear, etc? See a picture of the space I am referring to attached below

Til next time...
-GrandiOdyssey

 

Excellent! Do keep in touch as I think it would great to swap stories if our routes/ timelines cross.

Wow another one! Our rough route was put together with Google Maps stringing together the places that we wanted to see combined with areas that are able to be traversed / borders than can be crossed. We will map out detailed off road sections closer later on using Garmin Open maps, HEMA maps, Google Earth, etc (depending on the country)

True, we needed a US vehicle to build here and bring back to the states after our journey.

 

Cool to see you enbarking on the journey. As I am in Germany currently my Khaya is here in a few days and fitted in 2 weeks. I will be taking the shakedown in Italy or down to Portugal end of April. And it is on the back of my 18 tacoma.

 

Update! We just placed the order for our Swift Four Wheel Camper! We decided go with the two roof vents, thermal pack, hot water heater with outdoor shower, and forced air furnace in order to improve general comfort over a wide range of temperatures that we will encounter and to have the ability to wash up while on the road. The two way 65 liter refrigerator also gives us more space to store perishable food while using a relatively low amount of electricity.


In addition to the options spec'd from FWC we will be adding our own second 12v deep cycle battery in the camper with two 160 watt solar panels, a 400w solar charger controller, an ARB awing with wall attachments, a water filtration system, and some jerry can holders attached to the steel jack mounts.


Let me know if anyone has any other suggestions for FWC modifications in order to improve general livability, storage, etc.


PS during the 40% off TRD sale we also managed to purchase the '19 TRD Pro wheels (gloss black) which should look great in combination with our charcoal FWC.

 

Look into the red arc DC to DC chargers. They work really well and there’s a lot of people starting to run them. I ran one in the trailer I had and it seems to be the way to go for aux battery charging.

 

Congratulations on your order. We put our order for a flatbed Fleet about 4 weeks ago. I would suggest the 2 vents be power vents. It will be hot, you can set one to blow in and the other to blow out. Also, we deleted the solar panel option and went with 3 aftermarket thin film 160 watt panels. Cheaper and more power. Also the Yakima roof rack is still free. We also are using one lithium battery which replaces the 2 factory deep cycle batteries, saving 100 lbs. Finally, we also pleaded with the factory to have 360ﾟof powerful floodlights. You definitely want that before you step outside in the dark in Africa. Our round the world trip with our Tacoma starts June 1st of next year in Eastern Europe. Let's keep in touch

 

Interesting, I will look into this although I am not sure how necessary it is when the standard 12v batteries are wired in parallel with the battery separator thats comes in the FWC. More research needed.

As far as the vents go yes one of them is a power vent in order to keep air moving through the camper. Can you please provide more details about your Lithium ion setup? This seems interesting as the weight savings would be quite useful.

For lighting we were also going to add a few of these:

$106 Rigid Industries-86620 1x2 65 DC SCENE WHT

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01553D9X...colid=SVLPTP4SYN4U&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Yes please do keep in touch! Have you laid out your rough route/ schedule?

 

Make sure to avoid all the areas that will get you killed. Not Joking. Last thing you want to do is get captured and held for ransom. This just happened in the Congo where some lady was captured and was released unharmed after paying half a million for her release.

 

Also interested in more information on the RedArc DC to DC. Is there an advantage of this one over the stock isolator (BlueSea 7611)?

 

A motion light near the door of the camper is a nice addition for camping. In addition to convenience its a nice deterrent for humans or other animals roaming around.

$59 MOTION-GUARD, MG1000-450W, RV Exterior Mounted Bright LED Motion Sensor Porch Flood Light, Rated IP65 with INTELA-Sensor, Polarity Guard, Adjustable Sensitivity and EMI Suppression

https://www.amazon.com/MOTION-GUARD...nsor+light&qid=1555027854&s=automotive&sr=1-3

 

I like your rigid industry floodlights, we’ll be doing something very similar if not the same. We are installing a red arc DC/DC 25 charge controller which will charge a lithium battery, must have a charge controller capable of charging a lithium battery if you’re going to use one. We will also install a blue sea 30 amp breaker under the hood. Lastly we’ll be using a Victron BVM-712 battery monitor in the battery cabinet. The lithium battery itself is a Battleborn 100 amp hour 12 V deep cycle battery which costs about $950. There are many advantages to a lithium battery besides weight savings, smaller size, longer life, and more consistent power output.

You going to do your own build? Next month we are taking our truck up to Mule Expedition Outfitters in Issaquah Washington which is east Seattle.

If you’re going to install lockers I would advise putting on diff breathers. We are also having breathers installed on the transmission and transfer case.

Lastly, I am thinking of installing the orange virus tune. People tell me it gets better gas mileage, don’t know though if it will perform well on crappy gas though

 

does this block access to the factory cubbies?



and if so, wonder why GC made that call.

 

The floor cubbies that you can see have a removable door?

The rear bins get removed.

 

Well no North Korea.... Unsubbed jk sounds amazing post lots of pics

 

Wow amazing! Can I join?!? Haha